Chapter 5

With a splintering pain flowing up his back and a pain in his neck Daniel woke from a restless sleep. He'd fallen asleep at his desk after everything that had occurred the night before he was exhausted. Walking into the closet he had in his office, he picked out a navy Armani suit and got dressed quickly. Daniel had almost forgotten about the delivery he had last night; he had no idea what he was going to do. 

Looking around his office at all the paperwork and desk equipment littering his floor he quickly spotted his phone, bending down to pick it up he grimaced with the flashback of Katherine bent over the desk and his complete lack of willpower to stop anything. Daniel had to get some help on the situation and quick, Charlotte’s life was in danger and he needed to stop whoever it was doing this before she found out. Bringing up his contact list on his phone he called his one and only trustworthy employee/friend. Ethan Harper.

‘Harper, I need your help.’ Daniel said trying to hide the worry in his voice. ‘You at the office?’ Came Ethan's reply, Daniel could hear the slight tone of concern in his voice. ‘Yeah, come as quick as you can… Thanks’ Daniel switched off the call and began to tidy his office, he didn't want Ethan seeing it and although he wouldn't say anything, he would have known what had gone on.

Ethan was Daniels head of security, an ex-marine and best friend since nursery. Daniel trusted him with his life.Daniel started pacing the room, trying to rack his brain for anyone that could be doing this, but doing so just reminded him of how useless he was the last time in trying to find the person that ruined his life. Deep into thought, Daniel didn’t even hear the office door go. "Daniel, stop pacing you'll wear a hole into that floor!" Daniel jumped as his best mates booming voice came echoing off the walls. "Holy Shit! Don’t do that!" Ethan let out a laugh, Daniel walked over to his desk having to catch his breath after nearly jumping out of his skin. He gestured for Ethan to sit on the chair opposite the desk and poured them both a whiskey before he began. With a big sigh,

Daniel started to speak. "Someone's blackmailing me "

"Do you know who? Or why?" Ethan replied seeing the tension and strain in his friend's eyes. "no idea, but whoever it is, wants fifty million and they're using Charlotte" Daniel finished his whiskey in one gulp and looked at Ethan hoping he would save him from this hell and stop whoever this was from hurting Charlotte. As he watched Ethan sieve through the information and form some sort of plan, he poured another drink and added, "They kept sending me gifts with little notes. I've taken pictures so you could see...here" 

Daniel passed him his phone and watched as Ethan made a small chuckle. "What?" Daniel was confused. Ethan looked up and replied, "Well this isn't a man, and I've got to hand it to them they have some imagination ha!" Daniel stopped; he didn’t think that this could be a woman! He mentally racked his brains for a woman that could want to blackmail him, after the list grew too long for him to count, he started feeling even more hopeless. "if it is a woman. then I'm screwed!" 

"you can say that again!" Ethan gave a small wink and carried on. "if I'm honest, it'll be easier to find whoever this is, girls have more of a tendency to leave some sort of signature, for instance in writing, the way they dot their I's or the way they have a certain design for things, like cupcakes" he pointed to the photo of the box of cupcakes Daniel had received. Daniel's eyes lit up like all hope had been restored, finding a new spark he jumped up, " Harper, get on to it! I need to find out who this chick is before Charlotte gets hurt again, I can't have that happen."

He watched his best friend as he stood and nodded his head, as he reached the door he turned, "Daniel, don’t do anything stupid, you have that look on your face like you’re up to something. My advice would be to stay far away from Charlotte, as you said you don’t want anything to hurt her and you being too close may spur on whoever this is." Daniel's heart sank, he knew Ethan was right so he struggled a nod and went to sit back at his desk. Downing the rest of his whiskey, he sat there trying to comprehend how much of a task that would be to stay away from the woman he loved.As he picked up the bottle to fill his glass again, he saw the long legs of Katherine walking across his office floor.I really need to get a lock on that door! "what do you want Katherine? Can't you see I'm busy?"

Daniel scowled at her trying to deter the sly grin she had planted across her well-painted face. "you looked a little tense and I thought I’d come check up on you, see if I couldn’t help soothe it away" Katherine had her hands on his shoulders massaging his neck, she’d bowed her head close to his ear and whispered, "you can't be working under such pressure it's bad for you, and I'm sure you'd want to keep daddy happy by being the best at what you do" as she said this she slipped her hands down onto his thighs. Daniel grabbed her hands, " that’s enough Katherine"

"But sir, don’t you want to be at your best? You know I can help take away the pain, all you have to do is this" Katherine started to unzip her dress, dropping into the floor and stepping out of it. Daniel didn’t want to do this, he knew he shouldn’t and he knew he was going to anyway, she knew that underwear always got to him.

"Katherine, I said that’s ENOUGH!" Daniel shouted as he grabbed her and threw her front on the desk. Grabbing his tie, he secured her hands behind her back tight enough that she knew not to move. He ripped her thong off and stuffed it into her mouth. Dropping his trousers, he then slammed himself inside her not caring if he hurt her. "I hate you! Your dirty little slut!" Daniel slammed back and forth into her just hearing her mumbled screams of pleasure. He threw every kind of insult at her he could, the pain and the hatred escaping him in every word. He grabbed her hair and pulled seeing the tears roll down her highly manicured little face and couldn’t help but slam one more time into her filling her with his seed.

Daniel untied her hands and in doing so Katherine tore herself away clawing to put her clothes back on and fix her hair. Daniel restored himself and walked out of the office, he needed to get away, he needed a drink and most of all he needed Charlotte. as he jumped into his car, he headed for the one place he felt like he belonged.

Walking into the pub he ordered himself a double whiskey and headed for a small table in the corner. As he sat down, he notices her. Charlotte was sat a couple of tables away, eating, drinking and enjoying HIS company.

What the hell is he doing here? With her!

Daniel nearly jumped up, but having a flashback of Ethan he decided to sit and watch. As he sat there watching he saw her eyes light up every time HE spoke, the way she would giggle softly and the occasional flick of her hair. Daniel hated it! Stefano was the man who had helped him divorce her, he was the man that had claimed to be one of his most trusted friends, he was also the one that Daniel had caught spilling his undying love to Charlotte at the hospital whilst she was fighting for her life. Daniel walked back to the bar, 

"double whiskey on the rocks... and keep them coming!"

This is going to be a long night!

As Charlotte and Stefano tucked into their food, Charlotte became more at ease, "so tell me about you? You're not from around here?" Charlotte asked as curiosity got the better of her. "Me? No, I come from a beautiful little village in Italy. Bellagio? Ever heard of it?" 

"Can't say I have" Charlotte replied. "It’s on Lake Como and has the most stunning views of the alps. I grew up with my grandparents. when I was 18, I flew over here to explore the world and became a lawyer." 

"That must have been amazing growing up there" Charlotte sat and listened to him talk about his childhood, he spoke so fondly of his grandparents and the place he grew up sounded like something out of a fairy tale. As they sat,  drank, ate and spoke Charlotte found herself taken by this mysterious guy. After a few hours, they decided it was time to part. On standing up to leave Stefano looked into Charlotte's eyes. Charlotte could feel the intensity in his stare. "Tu sei la mia stella di mattina. Tu sei il mio gioiello." Stefano said and bent to give a soft kiss on her cheek. Then he was gone. Charlotte nearly passed out! 

All the way back to the house Charlotte felt giddy. Butterflies were somersaulting in her stomach. Once she got back, she finished the unpacking, with some music on, some dancing and some loud singing she managed to finish up the last of it. She sat down and called Lucy, she just had to tell someone about her most wonderful afternoon. 

"Hello?"

"OMG! Lucy, I'm in love!"

"oh no, what happened now? The estate agent? Or someone new?"

"you make it sound like I have them on speed dial, haha! But no someone new... and he's Italian!"

"Ooo tell all! I bet he's stunning and has THE sexiest accent!"

As Charlotte tells Lucy every detail and thought of her afternoon antics, she couldn’t help but want to celebrate, as she gets up to walk to the kitchen a loud BANG! Causes her to stop dead in her tracks. "What the hell was that?!" Lucy squeaked down the phone.

"I have no idea it sounded like a door being slammed"

"Is someone in your house? Are you getting it on with someone? Ha-ha!"

"definitely not! It came from the kitchen, let me check it out, I’ll call you back"

Charlotte hung up; all she could hear was the thumping of her heart. Walking into the kitchen she saw the back door was left open and banging in the wind. She immediately phoned 999 and as she turned around there on the kitchen island was another gift. This time she knew it wasn’t from Daniel.

OMG! Someone's been in my house! What if they're still here!

Telling the woman on the phone her details and after explaining what happened, Charlotte picked up a knife, she had no idea if anyone was still here and although she still had the police on the phone, she didn’t want to be left with no way of protecting herself. Doing as she was told and staying put, she waited for those blue lights to come.

Ten minutes late, and what felt like an eternity, the blue lights came into view, Charlotte's heart leapt;she ran to her front door and let them in. Once the police had made sure no one was in the house Charlotte called a locksmith, she felt so unsafe in her house and never wanted this to happen again. She explained everything to the police, remembering she had the 'gift' in the kitchen yet to read. Explaining this to the officer they accompanied her to the kitchen where she picked up the note and read;

He's hot, he's sexy, he's one big hot shot!

Maybe fire will break this TRUE lover's knot!

Charlotte's hand shot to her mouth,

STENFANO!

All she could think of was him, "please I have to go I think a friend is in trouble!"Hold on a minute! You're not going anywhere without an escort!" The police officer yelled after her as she ran out of the door. As she jumped in the car, she could see an officer running out towards her, she couldn’t stop and wait she had to go find him.

Racing off into town to find him. As she pulled up on the high street and frantically got out the car, it suddenly hit her she had no idea where he was! They hadn't exchanged numbers or details and with that, she broke down and cried. Lifting her head in an attempt to see him, Stefano was stood right next to her looking at her quizzically. "OMG! You’re ok!" Charlotte flung herself at him and wrapped her arms around his neck, making sure he was actually there and she wasn’t dreaming. "it's ok, mia bella" he spoke softly, gently rubbing her back. She doesn’t know how he did it but the tension in her body ebbed away. "you’re ok...you’re ok" Charlotte spoke, "of course I am, what's happened?" With that Charlotte told him everything that had happened, the break-in, the gifts, the strange  notes. Realising that the other gifts were probably not from Daniel either. "let's get you home" Stefano almost whispered to her as he walked her to the passenger seat and drove her home.